New Member, Looking for biggest fireplace insert avail (wood)

[jboudreau]

Hi guys,

I am renovated a house that my wife and I just bought (total gut renovation..built in 1995 and was trashed!!) because our old house was getting way to small with two young boys.

This rehabbed house is an awesome house...its just WAY bigger than I really wanted (but the price was right with the amount of sweat equity I am doing)

Anyway to make a long story short, I put in all new windows, doors, new furnace..etc.

But I am really afraid of what this is gonna cost me for heating with oil this winter.

So I am looking at getting a wood fireplace insert to help.

The fireplace is very big, so I'm pretty sure I can fit anything in there. (don't have the measurements here with me now)

What are the best inserts that would heat a 3300 sq ft home...or at least attempt to. The home is all open concept, so I dont think I will have any trouble getting heat up stairs.

The house is a contemporary, so looking for something that doesn't look like it belongs in a farm house.

I found a Clydsdale for sale (used) but am afraid it might be to small.

I am open to any suggestions, Mainly looking for a new insert...but came across the cyldsale.

Also where is the best place shop to get an insert, Im in Templeton Ma.

Thanks!

Jay

 

[cmonSTART]

BK Princess Insert has a 2.8 cu ft firebox. That's the biggest that I have in my arsenal. I'm sure some other folks will come along today with some other suggestions.

Welcome!

 

[stoveguy13]

may want to look at the quad 5100I its a big insert it is going to hard to heat 3300 with any wood insert or stove the house is just to big

 

[eujamfh]

I can recommend the Buck 91 (stated 4.4 cu ft). Its a beast and throws a lot of heat. Its large and some think ugly. When it is throwing heat in the dead of winter, I think its looks just fine. We have that and then a Hampton HI300 (2.3 cu ft). Hampton in the family room which is a really a great room with the eating area and kitchen (probably 40x18 feet with 12ft ceilings). Buck is in the formal living room on the other side of the house which opens to the foyer and a large staircase upstairs. We are 4500 sq feet above grade (add another 2200 for the basement), and my heat pumps stayed off most of the winter. Upstairs got a bit chilly in the back bedrooms, and the finished basement was too chilly for my wife, but with those two stoves we cut our heating bill in half and then some. Will still take years to recover the cost since my heat pumps are new and very efficient, but I love the scrounging and splitting and stacking and hauling and of course, burning. So putting a price on that is hard to do.

Having both a cat and non-cat...I would say a cat is the way to go. So long as you have good wood, with a large cat you will get more heat and longer burn times. Only thing I do not like with the cat is waiting for the cat to engage on cold starts. But we have motivated that since in the shoulder season, we only use the Hampton. Once I get the cat going, I try to keep it fed and running 24/7. Can not always do it since I often burn softer wood like poplar, but in the dead of winter when I am using only oak, its great.

 

[Chargerman]

The Country Flame BBF(Now American Energy) is a large catalytic insert similar to the Buck 91. The firebox is 3.9 cu ft, however, it will take larger length wood up to 29" if that matters to you. It also has a 3 speed 600cfm blower which is a very important aspect with inserts. I am heating a 2300 sq. ft. ranch with mine right now and it kept the house warm last year down to -7 degrees and the wind was blowing too. My house has old windows and is not the best insulated.

IMO, the look is less important with the insert because most of the stove is recessed anyway, but, that always come down to personal preference really.

 

[tickbitty]

The Lopi Freedom that another poster just asked about is 2.9. That's big but not nearly as big as the Buck and Country Flame listed above!

 

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I heat 4300 Sqft with my FPX 44 elite
But my house has tripple pane low E double glaze and Krypton glass packs with 2x 6 closed cell foam /Cellulose combo in wall. Does not take to much to heat entire house.

I would bet a 44 elite could heat a 3300 sqft